Fit Between Forward Side Skin and Longeron

Very excited about all the work I got done this week. I?ve been working on joining the center and aft fuselage sections. Everything was going great until I, like so many before me, cracked my side skin, while making the conical bend. Oddly, the first skin (right hand side) went smashingly. It was the second, left hand side, that cracked. Anyway, I have already heard back from Van?s and have a repair planned. What I really would like some help with is the fit between the side skin and forward longeron.

The F-770 side skin is a flat sheet, while the longeron is bent downward with a little twist. This is essentially a compound curve which the F-770 sheet does not care for. Over the length of the forweard fuselage it?s fairly gradual, but the skin still doesn?t sit flush against the longeron. Does one just clamp the skin into submission, working from the F-704 bulkhead forward?

Michael

that's what I did, it didn't want to go very well until the 1/8' clicos went in the front part. clicos were there for years until I was able to do the top skin.

Sumbission method

bret said:

that's what I did, it didn't want to go very well until the 1/8' clicos went in the front part. clicos were there for years until I was able to do the top skin.

Click to expand...

Yep. What Bret said.
You do want the longeron twist to closely match the firewall bracket.